Omuthiya residents want councillors removed

30 Oct 2016 18:00pm

OMUTHIYA, 30 OCT (NAMPA) - Residents of Omuthiya in the Oshikoto Region have accused the town leadership of corruption and are demanding the dismissal of all town councillors.
Residents, who also say they are not fairly compensated for their land, on Saturday walked out of the town council meeting where the mayor, Toivo Nghilalulwa presented a communique denying similar allegations against the Omuthiya leadership.
Residents started to accuse the council of corruption and maladministration during another meeting between the council and residents on 17 September.
According to the residents, the council pays residents less than N.dollars 20 000 in compensation to vacate their traditionally-owned plots to make way for the development of the town.
Residents during the meeting said they no longer have confidence in the town councillors because compensation to some owners who surrendered their land to the council was allegedly paid with personal cheques and not with town council cheques.
Nghilalulwa in his presentation indicated that his council is only responsible for compensation paid as from 2010, as the compensation administration was dealt with by the regional council from 2006.
On the arrangements for compensation assessments, the Ministry of Lands is responsible for assessing, measurements of items and producing a report. Our office is only responsible to verify with you and do necessary adjustment if there are omissions, he explained.
During a residents meeting held under a tree at Omuthiya shortly after the walk out, Moses Amukoto, the former Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP) councillor in the Omuthiya Town Council, who is now a member of Swapo-Party, was elected to be the leader of the concerned residents.
The residents decided during the meeting to petition Urban and Rural Development Minister Sophia Shaningwa to intervene.
They want Shaningwa to appoint a team to investigate their allegations of corruption in the Omuthiya Town Council.
We will be forced to stage a demonstration if the minister (Shaningwa) does not respond to our petition, the residents charged.
Amukoto told Nampa on Sunday their petition to Shaningwa will be drafted within this coming week.
(NAMPA)
NN/CT/AS